KAIST
representatives will join high profile, multi-stakeholder dialogues with global
leaders across the world to discuss higher education, science, and technological
innovation.

KAIST President Sung-Mo Kang and
Distinguished Professor Sang Yup Lee of the Chemical and Biomolecular
Engineering Department will participate in the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) Annual
Meeting on January 17-20, 2017, in Davos-Klosters,
Switzerland.

To
be held under the theme “Responsive and Responsible Leadership,” the Annual
Meeting will offer global leaders from government, business, academia, and civil
society a highly interactive platform to address some of the most pressing
issues facing the world today, from climate change, economic inequality, to the
Fourth Industrial Revolution and its impact on future employment.

On
January 18, President Kang will participate in the Global University Leaders Forum,
a community of top 26 universities invited from around the world, and will discuss
the relevance of higher education in the context of the Fourth Industrial
Revolution. He will also share KAIST’s experiences in developing innovative initiatives
to bring future-oriented and creative values into its educational and research
programs.

On
January 19, at the Global Future Council on Production, President Kang will speak
about new technologies taking place in traditional production and distribution systems
as introduced by the emergence of rapidly evolving technological advancements,
and present KAIST’s endeavors to transform those changes into opportunities.

With
an eminent group of scientists, including the Director of the US National
Science Foundation France A. Córdova and the Editor-in-Chief Philip Campbell of
Nature at the Global Science Outlook
session, on January 20, President Kang will discuss key challenges for the
global science agenda in the year ahead and examine the role of science in
formulating public discussions and polices that will have great impact on
society and the lives of people.

Currently,
Professor Lee is the founding Co-Chair of the WEF’s Global Future Council, an
interdisciplinary knowledge network dedicated to promoting innovative thinking
on the future. On January 20, he will share his insights at an independent
session entitled “World Changing Technology: Biotech and Neurotech,” briefing
the audience on the current state of research, development, and
commercialization in these fields, as well as explaining how they will contribute
to coping with the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

Professor
Lee said, “In recent years, we have seen the world become ever more complex,
interconnected, and realigned as it is deeply affected by this unprecedented technological
innovations, collectively driving the Fourth Industrial Revolution. One pillar
of such innovation will take place in biotechnology and neuroscience, which
will help us design solutions to many of global problems such as environment,
pandemic diseases, aging, healthcare, and previously intractable illnesses.”

President
Kang added, “This year’s Davos meeting will focus on the need to foster leadership
at the national, regional, and global level to respond collectively with credible
actions to issues of major concern for the sustainable and equitable growth,
social inclusion, and human development. KAIST has always been a crucial player
in these collaborative efforts, and I am happy to share our insights at the
upcoming event.”